Mail-box.



PATENTBD SEPT. 4, 1906.

H. G. HOMME.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.19, 190a.

rm: nonm: rrrsns cm, wnsnmumn, n. c.

- TED STATES PATET @FFIUE.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4;, 1906.

Application filed October 19. 1905. Serial No. 283.484.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HALVOR G. HoMME, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granite Falls, in the county of Yellow Medicine and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in mail-boxes, and particularly to those adapted for use in the rural-free-delivery mail service.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable, and convenient rural-free-delivery mail-box which may be readily opened by themail man to permit of the depositing of mail therein and which when opened will prevent access to the mail that has already been deposited in the box.

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel fea tures of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved rural-freedelivery mail-box. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the same, showing in full and dotted lines the openedand closed positions of the cover or lid and the tilting mail receiver or tray; and Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the box with its cover or lid in its opened position.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes my improved rural-freedelivery mailbox, which is preferably of rectangular form, as shouni, with a portion of its top inclined forwardly and downwardly. The opening 2, formed by this portion of the top, is adapted to be closed by a swinging cover or lid 3, which is hinged, as shown at 4, along the top edge of the front wall of the box and is of angular form in cross-section, so that when in its closed position it is adapted to close the opening 2 and covered or closed portion 5 of the top of the box. This cover or lid 3 has around its edges flanges 6, and upon the flange at its outer or free edge is a longitudinally-extending bead 7, which permits the cover to be readily grasped and swung to its open position. The flange along the hinged edge of the cover is adapted to engage the outer face of the front wall of the box to support the cover in its open position. (Shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.) In the front wall of the box is formed an opening 8, which is ada ted to be closed by a door 9. The latter is inged, as at 10, and is adapted to be locked in its closed position by a lock 11 of any suitable form and construction. This door 9 has flanged ends 12 and a bead 13 along its outer or free edge. Said bead 13 is adapted to enter beneath a downwardly-inclined flange 14, provided on the front wall of the box along the upper edge of the opening 8. The door 9 has along its hinged lower edge an outwardly-projecting flange 15, which when the door is opened is adapted to engage the outer wall of the box to support said door in a horizontal position. The opening 8 and door 9 are provided for the removal of mail-matter from the box by the owner, who has a key to the lock 11, and the opening 2 and its cover 3 are provided to permit the mailman to deposit mail into the The interior of the box 1 is divided into upper and lower compartments 16 17 by a mail receiver or tray 18, upon which the mail is deposited by the mailman when the cover or lid 3 is in its open position. This receiver 18 is pivotally mounted at the center of its ends and the end walls of the box, so that it is adapted to tilt from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position to dump the mail deposited upon its top into the lower compartment 17 of the box. The tilting of the receiver is done automatioally by swinging the cover or lid 3, this being effected by a link 19, which connects the two. Said receiver 18 is of rectangular form with longitudinally-extending beads 20 provided along its side edges and transversely-extending reinforcing ribs 2]. upon its under side or bottom. It is pivotally mounted between the end walls of the box by a pivot-rod 22, which extends longitudinally upon its under side and through the ribs 21, suitable bearings 23 being provided in the end walls of the box to receive the ends of the pivot-rod. The link 19 has one of its ends pivotally connected, as at 24, to one end of the receiver and its other end similarly pivoted, as at 25, upon the inner face of the cover or lid 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In order to prevent access to the lower compartment 17 of the box when the cover or lid is being opened and closed and the receiver 18 is tilted, the opening between the two compartments is restricted by inclined ledges or shelves 26, and the opening 27 between them is adapted to be opened and closed by a curved guard 28, depending from one edge of the receiver. The ledges or shelves 26 extend longitudinally and project downwardly and inwardly from the inner faces of the front and rear Walls of the box. The guard 28 is of segmental form and is rigidly secured to or formed upon the rear or inner side edge of the receiver, so that as the latter is oscillated said guard will open and close the space 27 between the two ledges or shelves. It will be seen that this construction will close the opening 27 whenever the lid or cover 3 is opened or is in a partiallyopened position, so that access to the compartment 17 of the box is prevented, except through the opening 8 in its front wall.

In order to permit the owner of the box to place mail-matter therein which he desires the mailman to post, I provide upon the inner face of the cover or lid 3 a bracket 29, which is adapted to receive a removable letter holder or pocket 30, which, as shown, is of wedge shape in form. Any mail placed in this pocket will not be dumped therefrom when the cover 3 is swung to its closed position.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mail-box having a downwardly-opening cover hinged at its lower side to one side of the box, a mail-receiver pivotally mounted in said box, and a link connecting said receiver and cover and bearing on the wall to which the cover is hinged when the cover is opened and serving to support the cover in such opened position and to also secure the mail-receiver against movement independently of the cover.

- 2. A mail-box having a downwardly-opening cover hinged at itslower side to one side of the box, a mail-receiver pivotally mounted in said box, and a link connecting said re- I ceiver and cover and bearing on the wall to which the cover is hinged when the cover is opened and serving to support the cover in such opened position and to also secure the mail-receiver against movement independently of the cover, said box having oppositelydisposed downwardly-inclined plates 26 below the mail-receiver and forming an opening between them, and said mail-receiver having a curved guard 28 depending from the side thereof, opposite that to which the link'is connected. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HALVOR G. HOMME. Witnesses:

T. H. SORLIEN, O. H. SORLIEN. 

